Second Chance at Forever
by JuneGilbertVivianRaeven
Summary: A Jiraiya X Tsunade fic. Spoilers for Jiraiya vs. Pein fight. Jiraiya survives his fight with Pein, thanks to some godly intervention. Or shall we say godess? And Tsunade is slowly running out of time; her greif at Jiraiyas death slowly but surely killing her. Will he get there in time? For some helpful background, check out the Greek godess Hecate. Please review!
1. Chapter 1: Jiraiya Wakes Up

**This plot bunny has been nipping at my heels for a while now. I got accidentally spoiled to this ending so I cried and cried! I loved how silly and funny Pervy Sage was. And still is. I still can't believe Kishi would REALLY kill him off…. Tsunade and Jiraiya both deserve better. Even if they both have commitment issues. This is my first story about Jiraiya and Tsunade. Actually my first Naruto fic ever. So please PLEASE be kind! I do my very best with everything I write. So for my sake, please be gentle with your criticism. Even if you hate it. Well, enough yakking. Enjoy! **

**-June**

**Oh P.S-I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. Otherwise Jiraiya would not have died.**

Jiraiya opened his eyes fuzzily. The last thing he remembered had been an ocean . . . and falling in . . . . and the pain. Pain the Akatsuki leader and the normal sense of the word. As in OW. And it still hurt. Why and how would death hurt THIS much? He had to be alive to register this much... well...pain. But . . . unless his blonde Hime had found him and fixed his wounds (which he highly doubted, she was too drunk when he left to chase after him for one thing and for another she wasn't crazy like a certain Toad Sage AND she knew the village needed her). . . How was he alive?

"MOMMY! JIRAIYA-SAMA IS AWAKE!"

A little girl's high pitched voice assaulted his ears. Jiraiya groaned, wincing as the groan scraped his raw and tortured throat. _Why did the little nuisance have to scream when he had a headache worse than when Tsunade drank him under the table and they both ended up passed out drunk in the bar?_ The memory of her face stabbed him like a needle. He winced. He certainly didn't need any more pain. The one thought that perked him up slightly was that he would be able to keep his promise to his Princess. As long as Jiraiya was alive, he would come back to her. He hoped.

"Shush Nara-chan! I'm sorry she started yelling like that. Please try to open your eyes Jiraiya-sama. We have been waiting a while for you to wake up," a soothing female voice said.

Jiraiya obediently attempted to crack an eye open. He was wincing immediately. When his vision recovered he found himself in a small if neat and clean medical room. When he attempted to sit up the slender womanly hands gently pushed him back down (It was a mark of how weak he still felt that he didn't struggle to rise any further). His eyes took in the warm cream color of the walls and the long rose red hair of a motherly looking redhead sitting on a chair nearby with a somewhat sulky child of seven or so with the same long red hair only darker, more the shade of old blood._ Don't think of blood dammit,_ he thought, realizing the idea made him sick to his stomach. The slender child's eyes gleamed an inquisitive blue green and the mother's pair shone a calm leaf green. The woman had a matronly figure and for some reason he got the idea that if he tried any of his usual tricks he attempted around most women she would sweetly, gently rebuff them. He could never try something with an unwilling woman. Except maybe his Hime(while drunk of course). Although he'd end up with A LOT of trouble (and injuries) for it.

The mother spoke again, "It's good to see you with your eyes open Jiraiya-sama. Mother has been waiting with eagerness to see if her desperate gambit paid off."

"Oba-sama has wanted to see if you're okay. See she knows youMMmmmph-," the child was cut off by her mother's hand to her mouth.

Jiraiya chuckled weakly (it came out raspier than he wanted it to) at the child's antics. Little Nara reminded him painfully of his deceased student, Minato Namikaze. Naruto's father… And he even missed that little knucklehead. He was Minato's son after all. Naruto was Jiraiya's former student's spitting image on the outside. On the inside, well, he was an equal mix of his mother, Kushina, and his father. Jiraiya had (and still did) considered Minato a son; Naruto being the grandson he never had. Or, rather, the god son he had trained. Jiraiya wondered how much time had passed-he guessed he had been out for a while. A week at most. Tsunade was going to be very pissed he was late but first the most pressing issue-

"Where am I?" _Ouch. That had hurt his throat even more. Obviously someone had repaired it enough to where he could speak but DAMN did it hurt to do so._

"On an island. You washed up here very weak but still alive thank Kami. Mother found you and healed you to the point you could be moved to this very room. We all have waited to see if you would recover. Admittedly I was doubtful but Mother was so hopeful. . . She's looking to repay a debt to you, you see. When I was but a baby and she was a mother widowed by the war of her time, you gave her a very generous sum that allowed her to save ourselves from starving. And you went on to save my life. She thought she would never have a chance to repay you for your kindness. That is until a year ago today, when you washed up on our shore."

Jiraiya was stunned. He wasn't just late. He was REALLY late. As in fucking you're in TROUBLE late. _A whole damn year..._ Even his Hime might have given up on him. . . . _Best not to think about that, idiot,_ Jiraiya mentally scolded himself, using his Hime's pet name for him.

"Thank you. . ." _OUCH. Note to self don't do that again._

The woman smiled, "My name is Angelica. From the herb. My mother's name is Anemone. You are to stay as long as you must to recover from your fight. Ah, here comes Mother."

An older woman came in. Her step was still lively and strong even as her wrinkled face and silver-specked rust red hair betrayed her age. Jiraiya had to wonder if the woman was older than him. . . Otherwise he really WAS getting too old. The woman-Anemone he supposed, although he didn't recall her name in his memory before Angelica told him- smiled when she saw his eyes open. Stroking her daughter's and then her granddaughter's hair calmly, she prowled over to sit in the only other seat, a stiff backed chair similar to the other one Nara and Angelica occupied. She sat down with the air of someone who had joint pain but refused to acknowledge or concede to it. The older woman's eyes were a deep and oddly fierce shade of forest green set in a fine featured, almost catlike face.

"Well then. . . The Gallant Jiraiya had quite a tussel with a monster. Nara, go check on my baking please. I have your favorite baking. Chocolate chip cookies."

First, Jiraiya's stomach revolted a little at the mention of food. He managed to keep the bile down, though. Then Jiraiya twitched in brief protest at having his old pupil called a monster; then remembered that that was exactly what his most tormented student had grown into. Nara dashed quickly off, shooting a somewhat longing and torn look back at Jiraiya. Angelica smiled benignly after her daughter, the love in her eyes making Jiraiya's heart ache unexpectedly. He had wanted to be able to love a child of his own like that at some point in his life. . . Another never realized dream. Just like his so called feelings for his Hime. The only woman he could've even thought of having children with (on purpose at least) was his Hime . . . . _Although the very idea would get him clobbered to the moon and back, nowadays and back then,_ he thought ruefully.

"Angelica. . . Dear girl, shall you see that that scatterbrained granddaughter of mine doesn't burn herself? That's a good girl," Anemone said calmly.

With a somewhat worried expression Angelica did as her mother bid her, casting a somewhat confused look behind her as she trotted down the hallway. Jiraiya couldn't help but wonder what this fierce looking older woman had in mind for him. Her wrinkled face was set in a carefully neuteral expression, as if waiting for him to speak first.

He managed, "Why did you save me? HOW did you save me? Has it really been-" before being cut off by a harsh coughing fit.

Anemone placidly helped him through the coughing fit, surprisingly strong hands holding him so he didn't fall off the bed. It didn't seem to throw her off at all. When he finished she spoke, "All in good time, Gallant Jiraiya. You need to re-accustom yourself to speaking. You were in a coma for a year, after all. Your Lady lives on without you, although a changed woman for it. Rest and heal. Even with the yearlong rest your body still couldn't quite recuperate fast enough. Now. . . . . I suspect it is time to know how you got into the sad state I found you in. Take it slowly, please. For my sake and your own."

Placidly as ever, she sat and looked attentively at him. Startling green eyes found the dark normally cheery onyx ones, and an understanding passed between them. Jiraiya would not leave this bed until his story was told to the fullest extent. Jiraiya sighed.

Thus began his arduous retelling of recent events.

**Oba-chan= Grandma**

**Okay this is my first time writing Jiraiya's POV. And, if you guys want, the next chappie will be in Tsunades POV. Im not sure about the job Im doing but telling me about it is part of your job as readers. Optional, but much appreciated. Virtual cookies and cake and whatever your favorite sweets are to whoever reviews.**

**I know it's kind of sort of a cliffie. I'm still practicing. So how did I do? You know where to go! Please review this chappie even if you think it's total crap. I hope you don't. Anyway hit that review button! Bye for now!**

**-June **


	2. Chapter 2 Jiraiya and Nara Chat Time

**Okay here's the second chappie. Please read, review and above all Enjoy!**

**Oh, and I don't own Naruto. If I did, Jiraiya and Tsunade would have at least had a better chance together in the series!**

**-June**

Jiraiya, after a day or two, had finished his tale. It took that long because his voice would too often give out, necessitating frequent rests for his voice. That frustrated him, but his annoyance was somewhat eased by the fact he got to spend time with Nara and Angelica. Angelica was a sweet woman, and beautiful enough to make Jiraiya want to jump her. However, some more powerful instinct held him back from doing that. _Maybe it was the common sense that has so often deserted me when I talked to my Hime_, he thought wryly. _ Figures I'd take fifty years to learn "common" sense._

"Jiraiya sama! Ooops. . . I mean, Jiraiya sama. Want to see what I brought you?"

Jiraiya smiled silently, crooking two fingers to let Nara know to come closer. They had developed a range of gestures, or, Nara had so he could talk back without straining his still healing vocal cords. His other arm (the one that had been torn off) had been replaced while he was unconscious, making this idea easier. Jiraiya still hadn't gotten used to the wooden replacement yet, however, mainly because it moved like an arm but was made of wood. That threw him off. How was wood able to move and feel like an arm made of flesh? Tsunade probably would be able to tell him. All he'd gotten out of either Angelica or Anemone was that it was a family specialty._ Hmmph._

Jiraiya enjoyed relaxing listening to Nara chatter after the grueling walking therapy, imposed by Anemone. After a year's coma, his legs had atrophied quite a bit. Anemone insisted on him recovering that ability on his own. Which irked Jiraiya, but he knew it was probably for the best. They had been working for a week, and he still tired easily.

He listened to Nara chatter animatedly, her expression reminding him sorely of Minato and Naruto. Nara could have been Naruto's sister both physically and mentally; memories of similar gestures from one blond or the other kept popping in as he listened to Nara tell about her day. However, Jiraiya was beginning to feel a familiar itch in his feet; not literally, more like an urge to go. To move _**somewhere**_, even if he had no idea where. This time, however, he knew where he wanted to go: home. To Konoha. _To Tsunade. Show her I CAN and I WILL keep my promise to her._

"Jiraiya-saaaamaaaa! Are you even listening?"

Ooops. He'd gotten distracted thinking of home. He signed *Yes Nara.*

Nara scowled, reminiscent of Kushina, and huffed, "I don't think so. You're homesick, aren't you?"

Jiraiya blinked. He wasn't used to being read by a kid. He signed in return, *Maybe.*

"Don't fib. Why do you want to go to your home so badly? Isn't our home good enough?"

*There are people I care for very much at my home. Your home is great… Peaceful. But your home isn't mine. My home is very different from this island. Many people live there.*

"Do you have a lady friend? Mom and Oba-sama says you do."

Jiraiya, to his credit, blushed, *No, not right now. But there is a lady I care for very much in my hometown.*

"Tell me about it. Tell me about her, please. The Lady you love. Even if you tell me in a story. Mommy says you're famous on the mainland."

Drat. This kid was FAR too adept at reading people. And her parent and grandparent knew far too much to have not visited the mainland around when Icha Icha was published, or even more often. So that meant there was a way off the island. Jiraiya sighed.

Voice somewhat raspy, he said, "Alright. Promise you won't laugh at this story, okay?"

"Cross my heart thrice, cross my soul thrice times thrice, may I die before I tell."

"Don't take death so lightly Nara. And what does that mean?"

"It means I won't tell your secret. Please please please tell me the story," Nara pleaded hopefully.

"Right."

And so began the tale of how he had fallen in love with one of the most obstinate, headstrong and caring women on the planet.

**So how do you like my portrayal of Jiraiya's perspective so far? I agree BigNaruto fan, sticking to one POV is the most productive. Thank you to all those lovely people who reviewed and favorited and paitently waited for this chapter! It was a long time in coming, but other stories had distracted me ^^' Sorry. Virtual cookies of your favorite kind to everbody who reviews! ^^ And BIG thanks to BigNarutoFan, being a faithful reviewer of all my Naruto fics. I couldn't do this without you freind! :) **


	3. Chapter 3 A Glimpse of Home?

Second Chance at Forever

**Chapter Three: A Glimpse of Home**

Jiraiya was now up and about, able to walk mostly after a month of walking therapy. To his annoyance, he still wasn't allowed his geta. Well, it made sense when Anemone had explained that the geta were bad for his feet at this point, but he still wanted to wear them! Jiraiya huffed sulkily, looking down at the brown, old person and non-impressive shoes he had been forced to wear. They admittedly did support his feet better than the geta had but…. Well, habit was hard to break. He LIKED his geta.

To ease his frustration, he walked out of the house and into Angelica and Anemone's massive garden. There were patches of herbs, flowers and all sorts of plants he didn't even have names for. _Tsunade would have known their names… Knowing my Hime, she has probably used every one of them at some point._ Every one of the flowers was in colorful bloom; yet, none overwhelmed his sense of smell. It was like they created, together, a harmonious blend that was rather pleasing. Jiraiya couldn't help but wonder how they blended so well. _Maybe it was part of the island's power,_ Jiraiya mused to himself. Anemone and Angelica's island seemed to be a pocket outside the real world, with no reassuring coastline of the mainland within sight from any portion of their shore. Jiraiya had checked thoroughly. The silent ache within him had prompted him to do so. His Hime must have given up hope by now that she'd lost the bet…. The idea filled him with an un-nameable ache at how much Tsunade had to be suffering in silence. She'd waste away under her own pain without any protest if nobody looked sharp.

Nara skipped over to him, smiling as she reached for his hand. He let her take it as she walked with him. He needed a distraction from the thoughts of home.

* * *

**Nara's POV**

I held Jiraiya's hand as we walked together. His face was set in a worried look, a slight frown marring his face. I felt a little sad. Mom and Oba-san hadn't been able to heal all the damage left to this poor man. Even when your parents were goddesses, there were limits to how and what you could heal for a mortal. If you fixed too much, the body forgot how to heal itself. Which was why Jiraiya-sama had to have the walking therapy. But I could feel that while his body was healed, he ached on the inside to see his strong, beautiful Princess. I didn't quite understand why he loved her; from what he told me, she hit him an awful lot and rejected him every time he tried to confess his feelings. _That wasn't supposed to be love. . ._ At least, I didn't think so. However, from the way Jiraiya spoke about her, he loved his Tsunade-Hime deeply. And from what I had gleaned from eavesdropping on Mamma and Grandma's conversation, Tsunade was a broken woman when Jiraiya had left. _Why did they deny each other if they loved one another so deeply? I'll never understand adults. . . Then again, it seems these two never grew up at all. Mom says boys my age tease you if they like you. That seems to be what Jiraiya was doing with Tsunade this whole time. . . If Tsunade was so smart, why didn't she realize it? _

I felt a light tap on my shoulder. Jiraiya was looking down at me, face creased in a slightly worried frown. Jiraiya was probably worried because I wasn't my normally chatty self when I was trying to figure their relationship out. I grinned up at him, relieved when his face relaxed slightly.

"Jiraiya-sama? Why do you love Tsunade?"

Jiraiya sighed, a raspy sound. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he frowned as he considered it. We walked in the lush garden in silence for some time. I was beginning to wonder if he knew at all when he smiled. It was a big, goofy grin and his eyes sparkled with memories of happier times for him. I savored the happiness in his eyes; Jiraiya-sama was one of the few outsiders I had ever met. And he had been so patient with me despite all my questions and strangeness.

*I fell in love with her after she was unattainable. But one of my favorite things about her is her heart.*

"Huh? What does that mean?"

*Even after I did something really dumb, Tsunade would patch me up. There was a time she caught me peeping on her in the female baths, and after she beat me up pretty badly, she still fixed me. Honestly, I deserved the beating that time but I was so confused when I found out she had been the one to save me.*

My eyes went wide. I couldn't imagine loving someone who almost killed you! Why would he love her after that? I asked him, mostly because it was driving me crazy to be asked.

*Because she forgave me. She really did every time, although it took me a while to live down the beating she gave me for peeking on her. Tsunade might have gotten irked that I peeked on other women, but that just shows she's jealous.*

"Err…. Don't think me stupid but. . . What's peeking?"

Jiraiya face palmed, his cheeks reddening slightly. Jiraiya and modesty were strangers (yeah, I'd learned that this early) but he was looking awfully uncomfortable. Which only made me more curious.

"What's peeking? C'mon, tell me!"  
*Put two and two together. Bath houses. Women taking a bath.*

There went that nosebleed as his eyes got a little glazed just thinking of bath houses. _Why was he acting like that?_

My brow wrinkled as I thought about it. Public bath houses were a rarity here, but Jiraiya had already explained what those were. I had always wondered why he got a small nosebleed every time I mentioned them. . . Okay, so he peeked on her in the bath house. So what? _Wait a minute. . . You have to be naked to take a bath. . ._ I squealed in horror as I realized what Jiraiya had done. He had seen Tsunade naked! And they weren't even married! EWWWWW!

"EWWWW! Jiraiya-sama!"

*See why I was surprised she forgave me at all?*

"Uh-huh. Definitely."

Jiraiya sighed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly with his free brown hand. The other flesh hand was still holding mine.

*Tsunade's capacity to forgive is amazing.* Jiraiya chuckled hoarsely, wincing briefly when he did so.

"Mama can help with the throat soreness. She has awesome cough drops."

Jiraiya airily waved his wooden hand, the one Grandma had made especially for him, producing the small green lumps Momma said were cough drops. She had actually made them to help Jiraiya's voice get better again. However, they didn't seem to be working too well as his voice was still just as scratchy as when he'd woken up five weeks ago. Jiraiya claimed they did soothe the raw feeling of his throat.

*Stop looking at me like that. I'm fine. I just want to go home soon….*

I sighed. Jiraiya missed his Hime sorely. Maybe taking him to the viewing pond would help.

"I can show you your Hime, Jiraiya-sama."

All at once, Jiraiya's black eyes lit up. He grinned delightedly, signing so fast I couldn't catch what he was trying to say.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Please go a little slower! I can barely see what you're signing Jiraiya-sama!"

With exaggerated slowness, *Nara. . .Please. . . Show me how. . . I can see. . . Tsunade-hime again without. . . Leaving the island.*

Sulkily I said, "You don't have to sign THAT slow. I can keep up, just not as fast~!" I sighed. Jiraiya-sama really was hopeful. "Ok, sure. Come one." I tugged him towards the center of the garden, where the viewing pond was. Jiraiya was happy to oblige my tugging.

Hopefully I wouldn't regret showing him later.

* * *

**Hiiii guys I know I havent updated in forever. I had horrid writers block... Well, here's the product of my re-inspiration! Got to go... so tired... this happens when you update at 9:49 at night...**

**-June**


	4. Chapter 4 Who Jiraiya Left Behind

Second Chance At Forever

**Chapter Four: Who Jiraiya Left Behind**

They arrived at the center of the garden, which was bordered on all sides by crimson roses. Jiraiya grinned at the irony behind this; the flower of passion watching as a lover tries to watch over his soul mate. He had learned to appreciate irony over his years as a writer, but that didn't mean he liked it all the time. Nara tugged Jiraiya to kneel next to her smaller form. Tugging a small pouch out of her pocket, Nara scattered a handful of potent smelling herbs over the surface of the still pond. Only a lifetime of shinobi training stopped Jiraiya from wrinkling his nose at the potent smells now drifting from the once clear pond. Nara didn't even seem thrown off by the stench. Jiraiya couldn't help but wonder if she had done this many times before.

Just how old was this kid? Jiraiya had to wonder. . .

* * *

**Nara's POV**

I sang the words to open the viewing pond. I winced when I saw Lady Tsunade was in her room at night. She looked so frail. . . I wondered if it was a good idea to allow Jiraiya to see her like this. It could make his itch to go home even worse. Against my better instincts, I moved aside.

"Take a look."

* * *

**Jiraiya's POV**

Tsunade looked so frail. She lay in bed with the covers over her, barely breathing. Even though she still kept up the illusion of her twenties, there was no trace of the vibrant young woman Jiraiya had known and fallen in (unrequited, as far as he knew) love with so long ago. She looked more severe than he had seen her, well, EVER even in sleep. It made his heart hurt and his eyes grow almost wet to see her so weak looking. Her fists clenched; she mumbled something under her breath. Then she turned onto her side, curling into herself and starting to shake. _A nightmare. Kami. And I'm not there to help her. . . Or I'm the subject of her nightmare. . . Kami it hurts that I've only added to her burden. _

Jiraiya reached toward the pond, then pulled back. Just in time he had remembered that it was a mirror. Only a window into her life. Something prickled hotly at the backs of his eyes. And it was likely all he'd ever get to see of his secret love ever again if the goddesses got their way. He wanted so much to reach out and touch her, to ease the strain from her brow… To see her smile that loving, warm smile he loved to see. Or even her laughing at him smile.

Anything to see her happy.

There were several sake bottles littering the wooden floor of her bedroom. For some stupid reason, that made him want to smile. A bittersweet kind of smile, though. At least his "death" hadn't ruined the escape of alcohol for her. The tear tracks down her face, still all too obvious to someone who knew her, evidenced that she had cried for him. Maybe not as much as Dan, but she grieved his passing. _Was it only because I was the only one left? Or did Tsunade. . . No. Can't even think that. . . . Otherwise, I'll go mad with guilt before I even REACH her. And she needs me. Obviously. _

Jiraiya simply stared at her, drinking in the sight of the woman he thought he would never see again. From her crumpled position, she looked achingly vulnerable. But Jiraiya knew that frail looking body housed a spirit of adamant, a stone fist and a steel backbone. Tsunade had survived his "death" just as he had predicted, but as Anemone had said, she had changed. Drastically. _It looks like Tsunade changed for the worse, too… Oh Kami, what have I done to her?_

* * *

**Nara's POV**

The look on his face was heartbreaking. Helpless misery reigned in his black eyes. He reached out to touch the water's surface, then pulled back. He simply sat, staring as if he wanted to memorize her. I stuffed down a whimper as my heart throbbed in sympathy pains. _What is it like to love someone so much your heart hurts when they are in pain? Why does he love her so deeply? She's done nothing but hurt him then apologize later…. Why?_

I tried to go to him. Jiraiya needed someone to comfort him. That or my heart was going to burst. It would certainly set me off if he started crying. When my small hand was on his shoulder, he finally sensed me. Jiraiya then did something surprising. He tugged me down to sit on his lap. He clutched me close and buried his face in my hair, body shivering slightly.

Trying not to be rattled by this uncharacteristic show of emotion, I cuddled into his warm chest. His rapidly beating heart provided some comfort in its stability. His clothes smelled of Mother's pine soap and faintly something exotic, citrusy. I supposed it was something from the mainland. With a soft little sigh, I burrowed into his big, warm chest. I was growing drowsy as he held me close. Jiraiya was a bit like a big warm body pillow for me. Yes, I'm that short. And hey, I'm seven years old. I get still sleepy easy.

Then, I felt something wet dribble onto my head. _Wait. Grownups don't cry. At least with kids like me around they don't. So why. . . Oh. I calm him down. So that's why he is being so awful quiet. He's breathing kind of roughly though. . . Should I call Mom? Or Grandma?_

Then Jiraiya cuddled me, rubbing his hand up and down my back, and petting my hair. It was almost as if he was making sure I was still there. I couldn't leave him after that. He needed me far, far too much. And if my mother and grandma had taught me anything, you never abandoned someone in need. I let him pet and cuddle me. If it calmed him down, it was SO worth the embarrassment later.

Hey, after he'd indulged my chatter for so long, wasn't he entitled to a little cuddling?

* * *

**Jiraiya**

Jiraiya held Nara tight. No matter that a few tears had escaped his defenses; Nara had prevented him from crying like a child. He wouldn't break down in front of the little girl. Tsunade's misery was infectious. It always had been like that for him, which was why he hated seeing her sad. One of the reasons why he had played the fool for so many years. He loved hearing her laugh. He was a sucker for it, in fact. Even the beatings she dealt out ceased to really hurt after a while. Oh, physically they hurt, but inside, it was her rejections that seared him the most. And, after a while, those had decreased in their sting as well. He had figured out how much she relied on him, you see.

She cared, in her own way. She never treated anyone the same way as him, actually… However, that could be a very mixed blessing at times. Tsunade had showed that she cared more when they were older. When he groused about being sore after training Naruto, she would simply sit him down and started rubbing out the kinks. With no grousing about massaging him either. Somehow, she always found what was sore without him having to tell her. _That was likely because of how many times she healed me up_ _after her beatings_, Jiraiya thought wryly. _She knows all the weak spots to hit, and yet she often avoided them. Unless she was particularly pissed with me. _

Jiraiya's breathing gradually eased. Holding the kid had proved an anchor to his unruly emotions. Admittedly he was out of practice keeping a poker face. Nara didn't care though; she'd allowed him to hold her to calm down. Soft little noises drifted to Jiraiya's ears. He smiled slightly when he saw the seven year old girl cuddled to his chest, sound asleep and snoring. _Such a cute kid. Even her snores are adorable… Not so much with Naruto. Or Minato for that matter…_ Jiraiya gently stroked her hair, easing into a standing position. Apparently the moment Nara had fallen asleep, the window into Konoha had disappeared.

Jiraiya ignored the slight ache that brought to his heart. He missed everyone in Konoha and his homeland in general fiercely. Naruto and Tsunade especially, but there were other faces dear to him. Shizune, the Toads of Mount Myokobu, Kurenai, Asuma, Kakashi, hell, he even missed Iruka handing out missions… There were others he missed, but they were dead. And, he wasn't.

Which was why he fully intended to return there, goddesses or no goddesses.

* * *

**Back in Konoha...**

Tsunade woke up with a yelp. She wearily rubbed her eyes. _Another nightmare. Obviously brought on by those damn failed mission reports…. And way too much sake… I'm such an incompetent fool… All I wanted tonight was a drunken escape… And I can't even manage that…. So stupid…. Don't deserve to be Hokage…. Just like Naruto said…_

With a groan, Tsunade shook off those thoughts. She couldn't afford self-doubt. Not when she'd made a promise to Jiraiya that she fully intended on keeping. Even though he had lied in his last promise to her. She laughed faintly, raspily at the idea of keeping a promise to a dead man. But her life had always revolved around the dead more than the living...

_Bet everything you have that I'll die…_

"YOU KNEW I HAD SHITTY LUCK! YOU KNEW YOU WOULD-WOULD-"

Her dry throat choked on the last word. She couldn't even force the word out as she wailed her frustrations aloud. _Die. _He had known full well he would die on that mission. It was suicide. He had died saving the village. And, truthfully, to save her. He had died to save her and the village she treasured from the menace his old student presented. Tears prickled at the edges of her eyes, but she refused to give in again. She had already cried her tears over him.

Tsunade started to cough, losing her control over herself the same minute. The tears, hot and wet, slid down her cheeks as her body shook with coughs. Blood spattered her sheets as her throat, rubbed raw by the hacking coughs, started to bleed. When she finished, she sneered in self-loathing. _So goddamn weak. I hate this… I hate the feeling of dying slowly… Torturously…. I guess this is karma for my promise to never die on the battlefield…. The greatest medical ninja ever to come out of Konoha, the Godaime Hokage to boot and she's killed by a disease that not even she can cure…. Just fucking wonderful. _

Tsunade eased herself out of bed. Time for the almost nightly routine. She stripped the sheets from her bed, gathering them so no one could see the blood spatters. She slipped out the window, easily avoiding her guards. Taking the sheets to the wash room, she slid them into the water bucket and mixed bleach in. She scrubbed the stains, easily getting the blood out. All it took was practice. She wasn't too scared of her own blood, or blood in general anymore. Too many nights had been spent like this one: waking up after nightmares, coughing up blood, and then cleaning any trace of it away. She didn't want anyone to know of her secret shameful weakness.

Tsunade was working on a cure, or at least a preventative. However, it seemed unique to her genetic line alone. Luckily, she hadn't had children so this hell wouldn't be passed on. Hisako and Shizune would be safe from this nightmare. Tsunade wouldn't want her now nine year old adoptive daughter to suffer like this, nor her other daughter. Thinking of Hisako seemed to ease the tickles in her throat, vying for her to cough more. Her daughter always made her smile, no matter how many rough missions she had seen the reports on.

Shaking her head, Tsunade lifted the finished, still wet sheets from the water and hung them on the line. When finished with that, she padded back to her room. Slipping to the bathroom, she dipped a washcloth in water and started to wash her stained chin and lips. After she finished with removing any and all traces of the blood she'd coughed up, she quietly walked out to her balcony. Tsunade knew she would not get any peace tonight.

Maybe never again.

* * *

**Hey! I'm so so sorry for not updating in soooo long! T.T I've just had alot of crap going on in my life. I also tried my darndest to make this update nice and long (for this story, I mean I tried!). Anyway, how do you like the update? Review and tell me! **

**Find out more about Hisako Senju in Never Meant To Be, my newest story! :) I'd love some input on how to continue both that one and this one! XD Thank you! Leave a review please. **

**Be courteous and leave a review for me! Virtual cookies and cake to all who review any of my stories!**

**-June**


	5. Chapter 5 A Proposition is Made

Second Chance at Forever

**Chapter Five: A Proposition Is Made**

Jiraiya came into the cottage carrying Nara. The kitchen of the place was a warm, homey place, the colors and very aura of the room reminding Jiraiya of warm memories. He winced. Maybe those memories of the Old Man and his prodigal teammate weren't so warm anymore. However, the memories containing Tsunade still retained comforting embers of warmth that soothed his rattled nerves. The kitchen was also smelling great. His stomach rumbled as he carried Nara past the kitchen. Maybe he could get something there later. Right now, his mind just wasn't in the mood for food. What Nara had shown him had given him too much food for thought as is.

"Jiraiya-sama… Oh! Nara chan fell asleep… Good timing. Mother and I want to ask you about something," Angelica, who had just come into the room wearing a frilled apron, said. Jiraiya sighed. He knew nothing was free, so why did he hope anymore?

Right. Because he still had a Hime to get back to. And explain why he had left.

*Go ahead. After I put her in bed, thought.*

"Oh, good idea. Please meet me in here as soon as you can."

*Alright.* Signing with one hand was clumsy business, and Jiraiya was glad when he could quit that and head to Nara's bedroom. When he entered, he had to smile.

Every available surface was covered in various plants, some herbs and others just flowers, and what wasn't covered by planters was covered by books. Nara loved to read, which was likely how she knew about the old fairy tale that Jiraiya himself had originally been named for. As a kid, sometimes he felt that he was living that story. Of course, with a few exceptions. He hadn't got the girl until he was much older than the hero in that story, and he had been a pretty damn good writer himself. Even if Tsunade sometimes joked that his books were smut. Luckily, she didn't push that idea too far. She knew how sensitive Jiraiya could get about his work.

Jiraiya sat down, clearing off the bed of books with one arm while the other held Nara in position. The kid didn't wake up during the whole process, letting Jiraiya tuck her into the white sheets without problem. Pulling the comforter, decorated with full, half and crescent moons, over Nara's chin Jiraiya stood up with a faint smile. Nara looked cute when she was asleep.

She slept very similarly to Naruto, limbs sprawled out in all directions. Jiraiya repressed a chuckle as he realized the main difference between Nara and Naruto sleeping. Nara didn't snore like a tiny freight train… Jiraiya grinned at the memories that flooded forth at the mention of his last student. Even though there was a little pain when he thought of Naruto alone without him, Jiraiya knew that his "death" had only made Naruto stronger. The kid was used to bouncing back from heartache already. He would survive.

Jiraiya padded from the room, shutting the door softly so as not to wake Nara. He then straightened up and walked towards the kitchen again. He couldn't help but wonder what Angelica and Anemone wanted to talk to him about. Maybe he was finally getting off the island. Jiraiya winced as he remembered Tsunade's sorry state. How weary she had seemed. He placed a hand over his heart and took a few deep breaths. He needed to stay calm or he'd be wound tighter than a spring when the goddesses talked to him. Yeah, he'd figured out a while ago that they were divine. Nobody but a kami could have healed such devastating wounds as those he received from Pain.

He moved quickly and quietly into the kitchen. There Angelica waited, a serene expression on her face. However, the air in the room could be cut with a knife. The hairs on the back of Jiraiya's neck raised in warning. This was one seriously unnerved and upset goddess, despite the calm façade. Power was boiling under the surface of Angelica's serene fakery, and her eyes had an intense, solemn quality that Jiraiya hadn't seen before. She smiled when he entered, but it was a tight smile.

_Damn. This is worrisome… What have I done wrong? Why does Angelica seem so tense?_

"Jiraiya?"

*Yes. What is it?*

"Come this way. Anemone wishes to speak to you."

_Uh oh… _

Jiraiya nodded, padding after Angelica as she turned on her heel and walked towards a door. Honestly, a door that Jiraiya hadn't seen before, despite his months here. It was large and midnight blue, the lintel carved with strange golden signs that waved and dipped and changed upon further inspection. Jiraiya stopped short of touching it.

He didn't want to be made to give up the ghost now… _If I died at all, I should have died after the fight between Pain and myself… Not now. Why would they save me only to kill me? This doesn't make sense… _Angelica, who was to one side of him, sighed. A slim feminine hand reached around and turned the knob on the door. Abruptly, Jiraiya was a little overwhelmed by the sight of light. Way too much light. Jiraiya shielded his eyes as he felt a push on his back. Staggering into the light, he took a while to adjust. What he saw when he opened his eyes again floored him.

A celestial garden surrounded him. Shrouded in night, there were every sort of night blooming flower in all sorts of nooks and crannies. Some flowers associated with witches were there as well: nightshade, belladonna, monkshood and wolfsbane, along with some he didn't even know the name of.

_Wow… Tsunade would have a field day in here. _Angelica hurried him along as he watched wide eyed, feeling the gentle kiss of night's wind. Colorful flowers, some pale and most delicate looking, bloomed in the walled hedges as they twisted and turned through the seemingly endless maze. Jiraiya was too wonderstruck and busy memorizing the details to tell Tsunade later. If she'd even let him in the room after what he'd done….

Jiraiya sighed, a little saddened by the thought. He knew Tsunade would be missing him and Naruto would be grieving. Jiraiya knew it was better for him to have died, so Naruto could grow and stay stronger, but now he had a second chance he didn't want to let go; despite everything, he still wanted to believe he had a chance with Tsunade. _You're a hopeless fool, Jiraiya… She may have said she'd give you a chance if you came back, but coming back so late? Not a chance in hell anymore… You hurt her too much. _

They soon came upon a clearing in the maze of flowers and hedges. Black roses ringed the area, twisting thorny vines bearing the most exquisite blooms he had ever seen. And, of course, anemone flowers grew all around in the clearing. Jiraiya had no idea why, but it seemed fitting to have that particular flower in spades here. Because that was exactly what he was fighting for; eternal, unrequited love. He smiled slightly, fidgeting with the edges of his robes. Jiraiya was unaccountably nervous for some reason; he had a feeling that this particular meeting would change his life.

Anemone hove into view. Dressed in a black, flowing robe, her face was solemn as Angela and Jiraiya approached. Jiraiya blinked; he had always sensed something out of the norm radiating from these ladies, but this was beyond strange… Even for a goddess. Anemone wore otherworldly black and silver jewelry: a pair of exquisite jet drop earrings with the hooks in silver, an intricate necklace made of onyx, silver and jet, and what looked like a laurel with a diamond-shaped drop in the middle of her forehead. Anemone truly looked like a goddess now, especially with that regal, stern expression.

He had to fidget; when people used that expression on him, usually he was in trouble. Shaking his head to clear it of childhood memories, he sighed. Jiraiya glanced over at Angelica and wasn't very surprised to discover that Angelica's housewife outfit had changed as well. He was rather surprised at the colors though.

Half of Angelica's outfit was white, the other half black. The flowing robe was a little more revealing on her, but not by much. One earring was white quartz, the other jet like Anemone's earrings. Even the necklace was split in two; one side of the necklace was delicate golden chains and quartz pendants, the other as chunky chains of silver and black. Angelica's body had seemed to grow taller as she stood straight and moved to sit near her mother. There were three thrones, one large, another smaller, and yet another delicately sculpted and tiny. Oddly, each throne had a white and black circle on the top; Anemone's held a fully black circle; Angelica's held a half white, half black circle; the unoccupied one held a full moon. All were gray.

Jiraiya blinked in surprise; he had heard of myths like this before. Three facets of one goddess, the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone. Well, he wouldn't call Anemone a crone, not now. Lines had smoothed from her face, leaving her with a face that seemed as old as the hills and yet ageless. She definitely seemed older than Angelica, but not quite as old as he had suspicioned her to be. Shaking his head a little, Jiraiya realized he was giving himself a headache. _Not smart baka… Note to self, don't try to figure out kamis. Especially the female ones. _

"Jiraiya."  
Jiraiya jerked to attention, embarrassed that he had been caught wandering. *Yes?*

"We have something for you to do." Anemone's voice was stern as her uncompromising green eyes bored into Jiraiya's. He wanted to break the eye contact, but he couldn't seem to do so.

"Nara is young yet, and wishes to see more of the world," Angelica said softly, her eyes worried.

It seemed like something a mother would be worried about; after all, her offspring going out into the world would be something painful to her, Jiraiya assumed.

Patiently he waited for the other shoe to drop.

"We wish for you to accompany her."

_Uh-oh… and what a shoe it is!_

*Anemone, Angelica, why me? Why choose me to accompany her?* Jiraiya was a little frantic. He was-secretly- afraid of failing these goddesses as he had failed so many others in his life. _I failed Naruto, I failed Minato, Kushina, hell, I failed the whole damn Village… And its Queen. _

" We wish you to bring her to Konohagakure. We have deemed it best for Nara to experience the world safely from that village." There was no room for argument in the eldest goddess' tone. Jiraiya wilted visibly under her stern look. _Why me? I mean, Nara's a cute kid and all, but why have me take care of her? _

Jiraiya signed, *Still, why have me accompany her? If you women are who I think you are, Nara can protect herself pretty well.*

Angelica cried in frustration, "Jiraiya no baka, Nara is young! She doesn't have the power nor the experience necessary to her own protection in the world of man! Surely you understand that, having trained several younglings yourself!"

"Angelica! Calm thyself, Anemone barked, the commanding tone starkly evident.

Angelica bowed her regal head, shamed by the remonstrance. Jiraiya stayed straight, his wooden arm tingling faintly in response to Anemone's anger.

"Great Jiraiya… We wish for you to protect Nara because she is of great importance to us. You are one of the best the Hidden Leaf has to offer. We took you from the battlefield for this purpose. Despite certain… habits," Anemone said, her lip curling in a manner that told Jiraiya she knew everything about his misspent youth and older years, "Despite such things, we have decided that you are best to teach our young daughter the ways of the world. You've been entrusted with this duty whether you like it or not. Otherwise, we can revoke the life that was given.

Angelica looked at her superior in shock, while Jiraiya was silently irked. No, more than irked. Pissed off. That a goddess would stoop to using people in such a way, even if it made a cold hearted kind of sense. He would protect Nara if it meant protecting the life he'd been given back.

One problem.

He didn't know whether he SHOULD make it back or not. Naruto had grown so much stronger without him- he didn't need a magic pond to tell him that. He could feel it in his bones. Even though he'd like to see his student's triumph, Jiraiya honestly didn't know if there would be a place for him anymore. They had survived a full year without him.

*Go ahead, goddess. Kill me. My student will carry on without me just as he has been doing ever since I "died" the first time.*

Jiraiya was nearly deafened by a bellow of rage. It came from a truly surprising source: Anemone.

"JIRAIYA NO BAKA! YOUR LOVE IS SUFFERING MORE AND MORE DAILY FROM YOUR ABSCENSCE AND ALL YOU CAN THINK OF IS YOUR STUDENT?! YOU SELFISH-"

What looked like a flash of lightning arced from Anemone's fingertips, narrowly missing Jiraiya's head. Anemone was panting, her goddess array a little askew and eyes flashing fire.

"Oba-san? Wha's going on?"

Jiraiya whipped around, only to see Nara stumble in, still in her red shirt and soft blue pants. She was rubbing her eyes, and a soft yawn escaped her. Anemone looked almost stricken to discover that Nara had been there.

"How long were you here Nara-chan?" Anemone gathered her daughter into a warm hug. A funny ache resonated in Jiraiya's chest when he saw them. Tsunade had always been like that with children. An instinctive motherly figure, even though she'd never had biological kids herself.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_Jiraiya watched from the trees, smiling at the play going on in the lake's water. Albeit, this wasn't an activity he really should be hiding doing but it was habit since this was research for his novel. _

_However, it wasn't lovely ladies that squealed and played beneath him and threw beach balls to one another. It was kids. Jiraiya had, since he got a little older, started thinking about kids often. Even if it was never really gonna happen for him, since the one woman he wanted children with would barely give him the time of day and seemed to prefer hitting him to anything else. He sighed, shaking his head to dispel the somewhat gloomy thoughts. He was starting to really despise it when his errant teammate- the one who HADN'T exactly gone crazy- came into his head. Crap, she was always on his mind and he didn't necessarily despise thinking of her. _

_Ever since she'd been unavailable when Dan stole her heart, his fickle heart had somehow, someway, irretrievably settled in her hands. And she didn't even know what she held. _

_Probably why she had left with that black haired girl. Her only reminder of that bastard. Jiraiya called Dan a bastard because no shinobi should ever leave the woman he loves right in front of her eyes. Dan could have fought, dammit. He could have not crushed Tsunade's heart and spirit. Jiraiya had no idea how to bring her back, which depressed and angered him all the more. _

_In a perfect world, everyone got their happy ending. Tsunade deserved a happy ending above all. All he could do was make sure his books had happy endings._

_All that was left to him was his books. The world he could escape to. The world he could make a damn difference in. _

_One of his latest characters, Chizuru, was a child care worker. So, he had come to watch this field trip of little boys and girls to one of the lakes in Konoha. A team of genin had been assigned to this trip, their antics making Jiraiya snicker. _

_The genin- two girls and one boy- were being run over by the tots, each of the genin having more tots on their hands then they could handle. The poor jounin- Ebi-something or other- was overrun as well, unable to help his students with the rambunctious three and four year olds. Four was normally when ninja entered the academy, so some of these kids had to be normal citizens. He scribbled some notes when he saw the blond genin girl was successfully coaxing one kid into the water while another climbed up a tree behind her back. Luckily, it wasn't the tree he was in. Jiraiya's grin grew when he saw the blue-black haired Uchiha genin struggling to get a tow headed tot off her waist. The kid clung tight, as evidenced by both girls' wails. _

"_Get off me!"_

"_No, you get off me!"_

"_Stop it! Get down and play in the water, not on me!"_

"_Don't wanna!"_

_Jiraiya couldn't resist. It was too funny! There the blond genin was, having an irascible argument with a stubborn looking brown haired little boy. The redheaded boy came over, carrot top hair glimmering as he tried to help the Uchiha woman pull the brat off her. When they succeeded, both fell over in a heap. The toddler of course was completely unharmed. What made Jiraiya burst into laughter was when the boy and girl sat up, they smacked their foreheads into each other. Jiraiya started howling with laughter, dropping his notebook and barely holding onto the branch he'd been balancing on. _

* * *

**Present**

Jiraiya was abruptly snapped out of his memories when he heard Nara calling his name.

"Jiraiya! Oh good. You're not spaced out anymore." Nara's green eyes shone with excitement as she looked up at him. She grabbed his hands- both wooden and flesh- and was bouncing up and down.

"What is it?" Jiraiya was surprised that speaking here didn't hurt his throat. Granted, his voice was a helluva lot more raspy than it had been, but it worked without pain. They were still in the garden, but now alone. He wondered where the older goddesses had gotten to.

Nara squealed, "Yay! Your voice works! Mommy and Oba-san told me about you taking me to see the human world. Can I pleeeease go? Mommy and Oba-san won't let me go without you!"

Jiraiya sighed.

_Damn. They know my weak spot… _

"Alright. We'll go."

"Yaaaaaaay!" Nara was dancing around, a picture of childish glee. Jiraiya sighed. They were going to have to work on a lot of things if he was going to be able to stand her back in Konohagakure.

He was surprised when things started to get foggy. Not just vision wise, but the world around him. He could barely feel it when Nara ran over, clinging to his leg. Suddenly, abruptly after that, everything was cut off and snapped to black.

* * *

**Tsunade's POV**

Tsunade wearily closed the book. She had finished reading to Hisako just moments ago. The little girl was curled up asleep, snuggled into Tsunade's side. She looked like a small, white haired angel with her thumb in her mouth. _I really have to get her to break that habit. She's seven now… Almost ready to graduate from the Academy. _Tsunade smiled even as a spear of fear lanced through her heart. Almost old enough to go on missions. _Please… If there's a god anywhere… I can't lose her. Shizune, Hisako and the village are all I have left. Don't take either of them away from me… Please…. _With a heavy sigh, she gathered the girl in her ARMS.

Soft, childlike snores issued from the dark-skinned child. Tsunade almost smiled. She sounded like Jiraiya when he slept… Shaking her head to clear it of unnescesary thoughts that would only lead to pain, Tsunade held Hisako close as she mounted the stairs.

Carrying the sleeping girl was still not much of a problem for Tsunade, even though she tired more often these days. Likely getting weaker from the disease that still wracked her frame. She had promised Jiraiya to carry on though. And fight she would. Even if it felt stupid to be keeping a promise to a man a year and a few months dead. Sighing, she took a whiff of Hisako's hair. Calla lilies. Tsunade wasn't sure why the girl had chosen that scent as her favorite, but it made Hisako happy.

Tsunade opened the door to Hisako's room. Decorated with various herbs and flowers in differing states of drying Hisako had found, the little girl's room smelled pleasant as Tsunade moved to tuck her in.

_Hisako tries so hard to take after me... Why she cares about me so deeply I don't think I'd ever guess. At least this learning might save her or her teammate's lives one day. _

Tsunade glanced over, seeing the picture of Hisako and her friends, the girl beaming at the camera. The other two boys- a black haired child and a brown haired miscreant- were glaring at each other. Jiro, Hisako's other friend, clashed often with the often solitary other in the picture. Hisako and Fukan had been together as friends ever since they met, making Tsunade worry quite a bit about their relationship.

Was Hisako doomed to repeat her adopted mother's mistakes? Fukan seemed to be just as oblivious to Hisako's attention as Jiraiya had been to Tsunade's at that age…

Tsunade had given up trying to get his attention a year or two before he started to actually try to ask her out. Then Dan came along and all of Tsunade's romantic, little girl notions of romance had been thrown out the window in grief when he died. A part of her had died the day Dan had; the day her little brother passed had been another one of those days. She had loved Jiraiya from afar and secretly- hiding the treasure in her heart. Hoping against hope that by refusing him her publc love that it would guarantee his safety.

Jiraiya's death had just sealed her fate.

What love Tsunade had left was bound up in one woman and one little girl. Even now it felt like she could only give them the leftover stitches where her heart had been. Jiraiya's death would have destroyed her, if not for duty to the village. And Hisako's timely appearence. Tsunade hoped she could give her little adopted daughter the benefit of her own experiences- without Hisako having to experience it herself. Without her feeling the pain and misery Tsunade had labored under for nigh on thirty years.

Hisako stirred a little when removed from Tsunade's body heat, mumbling a little grumpily. Tsunade tenderly kissed Hisako's forehead, and the grumbling subsided. Tsunade straightened up, repressing a groan.

Padding out of the room, Tsunade shut the door with a soft click. Standing with her back leaned against the door, she closed her eyes. Her vision had blurred again with the ghosts of memory tugging at her like over-eager dogs. Shaking her head wearily, she opened her eyes. Her illusion jutsu was used to hide more and more things these days. Like the circles under her eyes that were starting to get almost as bad as Gaara's circles. Well, not really, but you get the idea. Spending many of her nights up and bleeding was taking a toll on her.

She would likely have to tell Shizune soon- feeling a prickle of guilt for not telling her sooner. Tsunade had become used to dealing with problems on her own. Even more so after Jiraiya died.

_Well, I'm going to have to suck it up like I've always done. Keep living as long as my body lets me. For Hisako. For Shizune. For Naruto- even if he rightly hates me for sending Jiraiya on his last mission. And for Konohagakure. They don't need to lose another Hokage in wartime. I have to protect them until Naruto's ready to succeed me._

Tsunade smiled sadly. Making her way down the hallway, she entered her old room. Sliding her outfit off, she tugged out a nightgown. More modest than what she usually wore, the green fabric-printed with lighter green leaves- was extra-large to fit around her breasts. She sighed softly. Wearily sitting on the edge of her bed, Tsunade turned on the bedside lamp. Then she went to turn off the light that currently lit the room. Moving back to the bed, she slid her legs under the covers. The covers that itched with bleach from how many times she had had to resort to the cleanser. Ignoring it- she'd slept in less comfortable conditions- she laid back. An arm reached out, and with a flick of her wrist, all was blackness.

She closed her eyes. It was futile, she knew, but she also knew she had to get some sleep. Her eyes shut, she gradually, eventually, drifted into the first peaceful sleep she had had in almost a year.

If only she knew what was to come.

* * *

**Hey! Finally updated! Please review :) **

**So tired... Thats what happens when you update so late, but I really wanted to update right away... I needed to get this story up to five chapters at last for those dedicated few who still read my tale! :) I deeply apologize for the wait guys. Horrible writers block on this story for far faaar too long... Plus alot of things whammying me at once in my personal life. So I hope my update is appreiciated! Show me how much with a review please :) **

**I think this is the longest update I've done in this story so far. I really, really hope it was worth the wait. Jiraiya is finally on his way! What do you guys think of the mission the godesses tasked Jiraiya with? Will Nara prove to be a handful like Naruto? Will Jiraiya manage to deal with having a little girl as his student when he's only had little boys before? Will the Godaime survive long enough for him to return to her? Leave votes for story direction ideas in reviews! **


End file.
